CP-Web. Calgary Stampeders quarterback Nick Arbuckle passes off the ball to running back Terry Williams while taking on the Ottawa Redblacks during CFL action in Ottawa on Thursday, July 25, 2019.Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA — The injury bug bit the Calgary Stampeders on Thursday night, and it bit them hard.

The extent of the injuries is unknown at this point, but in the first 30 minutes of football alone against the Ottawa Redblacks, the Stamps lost three key offensive players.

Running back Ka’Deem Carey was having the best game of his short CFL career, but he hurt what appeared to be his left ankle late in the second quarter. Carey couldn’t put any weight on his left leg as he was helped off the field.

At halftime, the Stamps confirmed that he would not return to the game.

But that wasn’t the only bad news.

Right before the Stampeders returned to the field for the second half, the media was informed that starting right guard Shane Bergman and receiver Juwan Brescacin were both being ruled out for the rest of the game, as well.

Again, the specific injuries were not revealed, but the Stamps and their fans will be relieved to hear that Brescacin wasn’t dealing with any symptoms related to the concussion he suffered about a month ago and already forced him out of the lineup.

“Not a head,” said Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson. “It’s lower-body, but that doesn’t make it any better. I really believe he’s key. He’s one of our huge playmakers.”

Bergman is as imposing an offensive lineman as there is in the CFL, so any extended absence on his part would be a huge concern, too. After the game, Dickenson did not have any update to provide on the right tackle.

For Carey, the timing of Thursday’s injury felt particularly cruel.

He’d rushed for 70 yards on nine carries against the Redblacks and looked like genuinely dangerous every time he touched the ball.

If his injury keeps him out long-term, it puts the Stampeders in a bit of a strange situation.

Don Jackson, who began the season as the Stampeders starter at running back, is midway through a stint on the six-game injury list as he recovers from a concussion.

Romar Morris has been on the six-game injured list since the start of the schedule after tearing his Achilles tendon in last year’s West Division Final. He could be cleared to play soon but is likely going to need time before he’s back at 100%.

That leaves Terry Williams, who took the majority of reps at running back in the second half. He’s largely been used as the team’s kick returner this season but is a natural running back and will likely be relied upon for the majority of the Stampeders rushing duties until at least one of the others is back.

On Thursday, Williams rose to the occasion.

“He was hurting and tired — it was a hot day,” Dickenson said. “I did kind of challenge him that ‘Hey, this is what men are made of,’ and he really responded and did a great job.”

NOTES

The Stampeders just keep intercepting the football. It’s almost ridiculous at this point. On Thursday, DB Da’Shaun Amos and DB Robertson Daniel had picks, bringing Amos’ season total to two and Daniel’s to three. In total, the Stamps now have 14 interceptions through six games this season, which is more than the Toronto Argonauts had in the entirety of the 2018 season and as many as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats had last year, too … Stamps DE Chris Casher also forced a fumble. He probably wasn’t expected to play as much as he’s had to so far this season, but Casher has been quite effective on the defensive line so far. LB Wynton McManis recovered the fumble, by the way … You can debate the validity of each individual call if you want to, but it was generally confounding that the Stampeders had seven penalties for 78 yards in the first half, while the Redblacks didn’t have a single penalty called against them. That’s not to say the Stampeders didn’t earn a few of theirs, but you could understand why some of the coaches were getting frustrated.

QUICKSTICKS

Daniel came out on the field rocking full facepaint. It was reminiscent of defensive backs coach Josh Bell’s signature look from a few years back when he was still manning the safety spot for the Stampeders. Whether that was the intent is unclear … Stamps QB Nick Arbuckle did a much better job spreading the football out among his receivers against the Redblacks than he did against the Argonauts a week ago. He also got absolutely rocked by Redblacks DL J.R. Tavai. Arbuckle fumbled on that play but might have been lucky to be OK. It was a real-deal bone-crunching hit … Official attendance at TD Place was 22,708 fans. Attendance may be down around the CFL, and it would probably be worth comparing to last year’s Thursday night game in Ottawa, but from inside the stadium, you couldn’t have any complaints about the attendance … The Stampeders have 12 games left after Thursday, and six of them are against either the Edmonton Eskimos or the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In other words, the schedule is only going to get tougher … It’s honestly bizarre that the Redblacks play the Stampeders as tough as they do. It doesn’t seem to matter how either team is doing heading into games between the Stamps and the Redblacks because their matchups always seem to be closer than you expect.

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